


A Return to Healing

by crystaltear (Heartensoul)



Category: Kyou Kara Maou!
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-21
Updated: 2013-06-21
Packaged: 2017-12-15 15:51:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,776
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/851322
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Heartensoul/pseuds/crystaltear
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Upon his return to his homeland, Gisela gives the support Adalbert needs to try again.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Return to Healing

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't seen the 3rd season, so this ignores any events that may have occurred in it.

On the first day of what was hoped to be his permanent return to Shin Makoku, Adalbert von Grantz remembered three distinct expressions among the sea of contempt. The young Maou--the one who had arranged for his return without penalty--looked sympathetic and apprehensive, no doubt a result of the response he was receiving for allowing yet another traitor to return to his home turf. Weller seemed content to stare at him for some time in thoughtful silence, his expression one that spoke of an acceptance that fell just short of welcoming. Considering their history, Adalbert would not have desired it any other way. The third was of the medic, Gisela von Kleist, whose open and welcoming smile harassed him in a way the glares of disapproval could not. Adalbert was not a man who enjoyed open generosity or surprises: they were equally disarming.

“Welcome back,” she said to him, as though he had just gone on a short business trip. Her voice was cheery and her smile bright as she placed a hand on his arm and began to tug him down the hall. “Come. I’ll show you where to put your things and then we have work to do.”

His “things” consisted of a cloak and his sword, the latter only left in what was introduced as his quarters when the girl insisted he would not need it. The room itself was in the southernmost wing where new recruits and some staff held quarters, the furthest hall from the Maou’s chamber. Much like Geigen Huber, his redemption excluded the reclaiming of his rank, and as it stood he was never likely to re-attain any sort of military ranking within Shin Makoku. It was frustrating but expected, his new position in life.

They walked to the medical ward after that stop. Adalbert watched as the people of the castle reflexively reached for their sword hilts as he came into view and remained tense until he was out of their space. His own fists remained balled at his side, his fingernails digging into his palms as he resisted again and again to reach for his absent sword. Upon entering the medical ward, the area went quiet and still as they glanced apprehensively at the duo at the door. Adalbert grunted: had Huber or Weller had to deal with such nonsense upon their returns? It was almost amusing how skittish everyone was. 

“Is there a problem? Everyone back to work!” the von Kleist girl commanded the room in a tone that startled Adalbert. Had that really come out of such a small girl? He watched, impressed, as every person in the room scrambled to get back to their duties.

\----------

With some days passed, he reflected on the events of his first day with a new perspective. Even in that short time, the inhabitants of Blood Pledge Castle seemed to have grown accustomed to his presence in their domain. He was still no more welcome than he was then; however, the sense of threat on both sides seemingly evaporated. What had not changed, however, was the overpowering silence that occurred each time he and Gisela von Kleist entered the medical ward.

The reoccurrence should have troubled the swordsman, but he had learned in leaps and bounds since his return. He no longer took the silence personally, because he knew for a fact he was not the source of their silence at all.

The truth was Gisela von Kleist was a demon.

Yes, a harsh, aggressive demon that embodied the small frame of a woman. The one who was the head healer of the castle was the same person that instilled fear in men long acquainted with battle and death. Of course, that seemed to be a trend among the female population of Shin Makoku. Still, leave it to Gunter von Kleist to adopt such a contradiction for a daughter. He, Adalbert von Grantz, held no fear of such a woman. Her tone just often caught him off guard.

“Adalbert, did you check the supplies like I asked? Some of the cabinets look disorganized.”

His body tensed into a stance of salute, standing tall and looking forward. He saw the medic out of the corner of his eye glaring at him with her fists poised on her hips. He cleared his throat and swallowed.

“Well?”

She moved to stand in front of him, the contrast in their statures making him feel absolutely ridiculous. He saw the other occupants in the room watching them, but no one dared to laugh; They had been in his position at least once before. He was sure he could even see open sympathy in some of their eyes and that was enough to soothe his wounded pride.

“They were stocked in the proper cabinets, and I made a list of all of the medicines we seemed to be short on.”

“The list?”

“On your desk.”

This seemed to satisfy the she-demon, and once again the smile of a normal woman graced her lips. “Very good. Is there something else you’re forgetting to tell me?”

Adalbert mentally cursed. Was there no end to her knowing? “I dropped the jar of rosemary,” he admitted guiltily. “I made sure to clean it up properly,” he added as an afterthought. Was there no end to this torment?

“And you’ll be sure to go pick some up from the village this afternoon to replace it,” she told him evenly, walking away to leave him with his new task. “The list was very thorough, good job.”

He watched as her form weaved through the people working in the busy room, her eyes sharp as she made sure production was running smoothly. Once she passed by, the other workers turned to give him a thumbs up or a nod of approval.

The corners of his mouth turned up a bit. He was passing the test.

\----------

As he came upon the first row of homes and shops of the village, Adalbert felt some of the tension ease in his shoulders. Among the commoners of the town, he was under less scrutiny than within the castle walls. It was not, he admitted, as bad as he had imagined: when he had returned to the castle for the tournament years before, it was only the Boy’s pledge of protection that kept what would have likely been a line of people to fight him. He had been smug then--certainly much more than he was now, though he was still proud--and had flaunted his ability to walk among the country and castle freely. He certainly had no intention of doing that now, but he was sure many may have held grudges from then and even further back. The lack of confrontation, while likely the responsibility of the Maou and his advisors, had much to do with Gisela. She kept him secluded in what was considered her domain and almost always accompanied him when he had to be taken out of that area. It was probably a hassle to a woman with so much to do, but she was always greeting him warmly (so long as he didn’t mess anything up.) To ensure her effort was not wasted, he kept his temper in check and behaved as well as he could.

The herbalist Gisela favored sat in front of his cart, trimming a bouquet of white lilies. The cart contained glass bottles of herbs and mixes, but the various flowers that adorned the cart took up the most space. Adalbert looked around the area: could that really be the right cart? It seemed more like a florist cart than one that may offer serious medicine.

“I specialize in plants that offer all kinds of healing, my friend,” the herbalist answered without looking up from his work. “What can I get for you?”

“Some rosemary.”

He glanced again at the bouquet in the man’s hand: the soft white petals looked translucent in the sun’s light, giving the flowers a look of fragility and purity. His immediate response was to think of Julia, who he always felt had those attributes as well. He recalled with clarity how she would often be found in the former Maou’s garden tending to the flowers with careful grace. She had been content to just sit among them for hours, a set of living creatures that, like her, had to bask in sunlight through feeling rather than sight.

“Would you like the lilies as well?”

He glanced back over at the herbalist, who was holding out the jar of rosemary in one hand and the finished bouquet in the other. The memories he had momentarily indulged himself faded, back in time where they belonged. He took the bottle out of the man’s grasp slowly, and the scent of the rosemary brought him back to the present: Back to the strong smells and noise of the medical ward of Blood Pledge Castle, where things like flowers did not bask in the sun like fragile lilies. Instead, they helped heal in the hands of a beautiful demon.

“No, not lilies,” he replied. His eyes scanned the display of different flowers, an array of roses, daisies, and forget-me-nots. In the furthest corner nearest the herbal bottles sat a set of deep blue irises, their vibrant petals reaching out from their long stems. He plucked a bouquet out of the batch and eyed them critically. After a moment he seemed to decide and paid for the rosemary and the irises.

“Have a good day, Friend.”

He merely waved the flowers in the air as he walked back, not really sure why he had done such a thing.

\----------

When Adalbert returned to the castle, he made sure not to make a show of his gift. He placed the irises and rosemary beside each other on Gisela’s empty working area and returned to his own work. When he passed by later in the afternoon, the flowers sat on the window ledge, standing tall and proud against the rays of the sun.

“You didn’t put the rosemary back,” Gisela’s voice came from behind him. He turned to find her with a tray of tools in hand. Her voice was light and lacking severity, her smile bright and warm. She put the tray down and picked up the jar from her desk. As she placed the delicate jar in his palm, he felt how smooth her slim fingertips felt against his calloused hands.

“Gifts will not win you any points with me,” she added, but the buoyancy of her mood told him she had appreciated them.

For the first time since his arrival, he openly smiled. “Of course not.”

**Author's Note:**

> Flower Notes: White lilies represent majesty, purity and virginity, so I felt they were a fitting flower to symbolize Julia. Blue Irises, on the other hand, are a symbol of faith and hope. Gisela’s acceptance of Adalbert in the latter half of the series and the OVA seems to encompass both of these attributes, and I think that Adalbert would eventually respond to her actions in kind.
> 
> Title Note: Bear with my dorkiness for a moment while I indulge the part of me that earned a degree in English and spent way too much time analyzing text. The title “A Return to Healing” is supposed to be representative of all the things going on with Adalbert in this story: The first and most obvious is his attempt to mend the bridge between himself and the people in Shin Makoku. The second is his own personal healing as he lets go of the past (both Julia and his anger associated with Shin Makoku.) The third is his physical capacity in his new role as part of the medical team. And the final is, of course, his connection with Gisela, the new healer who dictates his actions (both in the literal and the psychological sense.)


End file.
